Refrigerator car



ug- 2, 1932- A. c. MATHER 1,869,701

REFRIGERATOR CAR Filed Dec. 11, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY' Aug. 2,1932. A. c. MATHER REFRIGERATOR CAR Filed Deo. i1. 1929 s sheets-sheet smmm 4.

NVENTOR PatentedA Aug. 2, 1932" rural) STATES ALoNzo c. mariana, orCHICAGO, rumors niarnramron can Application led December 11, 1929.Serial No. 413,329.

My invention relates to improvements in refrigerator cars, anditconsists in the combinations, constructions, and arrangements hereindescribed and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide Ia refrigerator car in which amechanical refrigerating system may be associated with the standardice-cooling mechanism in a refrigerator car, and in which 'novel meansis i provided whereby the mechanical refrigerating system may beoperatively connected with a portion of the car in such a manner thatthe moving car will actuate the system.

A further object is to provide a device of 35 the type described inwhich a novel mechanical re rigerating system may be incorporated in arefrigerator car in such a manner that a minimum amount' of space'isdisplaced.

A further object is to provide a device of o the ltype described wherebya mechanical refrigerating system may be employed forv preserving theice within the ice chambers in a refrigerator car, and while beingnormally actuated by the moving car the system is also 35 provided withnovel means whereby the system may be operated through an independentsource of power.

A further object is to provide a device of the type described which,while providing means for preserving the iceA within 'the ice chambersof a refrigerator ca'r, may also be f used for pre-cooling the car ormay be used as a medium for maintaining a uniformly cool temperaturewithin therefrigerator car independently of the ice supply.

' ,A further object is to provide a mechanical refrigerating system fora refrigerator ca r in which novel means is employed formounting a majorportion of the system underneath the car, and in such a manner as toeliminate interference with any of the standard constructions.

Other objects and'advantages will appear in the following specification,and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed outin the appendedclaims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming Vpartof this application, in which y Figure lis a side elevation of a portionof `car,

a refrigerator car embodying my invention,- Figure 2 isa side elevation,partly in sect-1on,'of one of the trucks associated with the Figure 3 isa top plan view of the truck 55 and a portion of my invention,

Figure 4 -is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view of the refrigerant circuit and themechanism conon taining the same, l

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail view of a. portion of my invention, and

Figure 7 is a detail view of a the structure shown in Figure 6.

In carrying out my invention I make use of a refrigerator car '1 whichis mounted portion of upon a pair of trucks `2. Thecar l and the trucks2 preferably conform to standard constructions and, therefore, requireno detailed description. The car is provided with a plun rality of icechambers 3 upon one end, and a similar plurality :of ice chambers 4 ispro- -vided upon the opposit'e end, see Figures 1 and 4. The icechambers may be lled with ice through openings 5 in the top of the car,see Figure 4. The openings may. be closed by means of covers 6. The icechambers are preferably ymounted upon a suitable rack construction 7,see Figure 1.

In referring to Figure 2 it will be noted that I make use of one of thetrucks 2. '.Ihe truck in part comprises a channel 8 which, in railroadparlance, is termed a sand plank. The sand plank supports a wooden block.9 85. upon which springs 10 are mounted. Thls mechanism is also old inthe art. A platform 11, see Figure 2, is securedto the sand plank 8 bymeans of bolts or rivets `12.v In referring to Figure 3 it will be notedthat the plat- 90 form 1l is substantially of a width equal to thedistance between the wheels 13 associated with the truck. The'platformmay be bent as at14 for providing a maximum amount of space in thelocality of the brake beam 15. o

The opposite endv of the platform 11 1s provided with openings throughwhich depending members 16f project. The latter are 'provided withremovable portions 17, see

Figure 2, for permitting the members 16 to 1D0 be disposed upon an axle18 which is asso-y ciated with the wheels 13. A spring 19 is disposedupon each end of the members 16 and is held thereon'by means of a nut 20which may be adjusted for providing the proper tension in the spring.

A compressor 21 is mounted upon the platform 11 and is provided with ashaft 22 having a slidable gear 23 mounted thereon. This gear isdisposed in mesh with a gear 24 which is xed upon the axle 18, seeFigure 3. Referring again to Figure 3, I have shown a pair of condensers25 and 26 as being mounted4 upon the platform. A pipe 27 connects thecompressor 21 with the condenser 25. TheV latter is connected with thecondenser 26 through the medium of a pipe 28.

A pipe 29 leads from the condenser 26, see Figure 4, and passes upwardlythrough the bottom of the 'car and is wound about one of the chambers 3for providing a coil 30. The coil 30 is operatively connected with acoil 31 at 32, and the coil 31 is similarly connected with a coil 33upon another of the ice chambers 3 as at 34. The coil 33 is in turnconnected with a coil 35 upon the right hand ice chamber 3, in viewingFigure 4, at 36. The pipe 29 continues upwardly from the coil 35 andpasses along the ceiling to the opposite end of the car, and is wound incoil formation 37 about the individual tanks 4 and connected together inthe same manner as are the coils 30.

-A vapor" pipe 38 connects the last coil 37 in the circuit with thecompressor 21, see Figure 4. In Figures 3 and 4 I have shown a motor 39as being mounted upon the platform 11. The motor is provided with a gear40. rlhe gear 23 isvprovided with a hub portion 41 operatively connectedwith a bar 42 whereby the gear may be shifted from the full lineposition to the dotted line position shown in Figure 6. The bar 42 isslidably mounted upon a bracket 42 by means of pins 43 which projectthrough a slot 43 in the bar. One en d of the bar projects through aslot 44 in the platform 11.

lThe gear l23 may be shifted into engagement with the gear 40 associatedwith the motor 39 by moving the bar to the dotted line lposition shownin Figure 6. At this time the end 43" of the bar is disposed within arecess 47 wherein the bar is rigidly held by reason of a spring 49. Whenthe gear 23 is disposed in mesh with the gear 24 as shown in Figure 3,the end of the bar 42 is disposed within a recess 45, see-Figure 7. Thegear 23 may-be shifted to a neutral position at which time the gear isout of engagement with both the gear 24 and the gear 40. At this timethe end of the bar may be disposed within a recess 48. The recesses 45and 48 are provided with spring members 46 and 50, re-

spectively.

In operation, the ice chambers 3 and 4 are provided with a supply of icefor cooling the interior of the refrigerator car. The r`mechanicalrefrigerating system is, of course, provided with the necessary amountof refrigerant. The gear 23 is then shifted into engagement with thegear 24. These gears are provided with relatively large teeth so that aslight vibration or movement of these two elements will not necessarilyinterfere with the eicient operation of the mechanism. It Willthus beseen that when the refrigerator car is moved the compressor 21 will beoperated. An important feature in connection with my invention is thefact that the ice within the ice chambers may be preserved for arelatively Along time, and in the event that the car should for anyreason stop for any length of time, the compressor may be actuatedthrough the. medium' of the motor 39. A mere shifting of the gear 24will operatively connect the motor with the compressor.

In addition to this, the mechanical refrigerating system will suiice forall' practical purposes as a substitute for the ice. Fur" thermore, therefrigerator car may be precooled by means of the mechanical refrigferating system prior to the loading of the car and the filling of theice chambers. A further important feature in connection with myinvention is the fact that the platform 11 may be mounted upon astandard truck and provides means whereby a large portion of themechanism may be used in connection with a standard refrigerator car,and Without necessitating a rearrangement of any of the parts. Thenagain, the system is so arranged that the coils upon each end may beconnected and operated as a unit through the medium of a singlecompressor. f

Figure 5 shows a diagrammatic view of the installation. Vapor in thesystem passesV to the compressor 21 throu h-thepipe 38 and in thedirection indicated y arrows 38. The vapor is compressed and condensedwhen in the condensers 25 and 26. From these the liquid refrigerant ispassed through the ipe 29 to the coils surrounding the ice cham ers 3and 4. In Fi ure 1 I have shown the pipes 29 and 38 as eing providedwith flexible joints 51.

I claim:

1. The combination of a car having a truck provided with a movable axle,a platform connected with the truck a com ressor and a condenser carriedb said plat orm, a cooling unit disposed Within said car and operativelyconnected with said compressor and said condenser, means for operativelyconnecting the compressor with said axle, a motor, shiftable means foroperatively connecting the motor with the compressor and disconnectingthe compressor and the axle, and depending members associated with saidaxl( zflnd arranged for partly supporting said platorm.

l 2. The combination of a refrigerator car having an ice chamberprovided wlth an open top portion and having a hatchway directly abovesaid ice chamber whereby said ice chamber may be serviced with ice whilethe car is standing still, and a mechanical rerigerating systemassociated with said car and having a cooling coil surrounding said icechamber, said mechanical refrigerating lo system being of such capacityas to remove just enough heat to maintain the ice ina frozen conditionwhile the car is in motion.

3. The combination of a refrigerator car provided with a hatchway andhaving an ice chamber disposed directly beneath said hatchway, said icechamber being provided with an open top portion whereby sald chamber maybe serviced with ice through said hatchway while the car is standingstill, supporting means associated with said car, and al mechanicalrefrigerating system partly mounted upon said supporting means andarranged in operative relation with respect to the ice chamber forcooperating with the same and maintainin the temperature in the icechamber at 32 ahrenheit, said refrig. erating system being provided forthe purpose of removing suiiicient heat to keep the ice from meltingwhile the car is in motion. 4. The combination of a rerigerating carbeing provided with a plurality of wheels, hatchways at each end at thetop of said car and having a plurality of ice chambers having open topportions disposed directly be- 35 neath said hatchways, and arefrigerating system provided with cooling coils associated with saidice chambers for removing suilicient heat to maintain the ice in saidice chambers in a frozen condition while the car is in motion, saidrefrigerating system having means whereby the power for operating saidsystem is transmitted through the wheels of said car.

Si ed at Buffalo in the county of Erie and lltate of New York this 2dday of December, A. D. 1929.

ALONZO C. MATHER.

